Lubricating system for fly frames



July 28, 1959 'r. L. JOHNSON 'LUBRICATING SYSTEM FOR FLY FRAMES 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 16, 1957 N nwmum t2 INVENTOR T L. Jr'vklzson A TT( FRNE Y T. L. JOHNSON July 28, 1959 LUBRICATING SYSTEM FOR FLY FRAMES Filed July 16, 1957 r 26 \\:\\\\\\\\||||I!{II////// CW1 g n gn s INVENTOR TL. Joiazsozzz ATTORNEY LUBRICATING SYSTEM FOR FLY FRAMES Tiny Lee Johnson, Greenwood, SC.

Application July 16, 1957, Serial No. 672,236

2 Claims. (CI. 57-67) The present invention relates to a lubricating means or system for fly frames or roving frames and the like.

The present practice for lubricating the spindles on fly or roving frames is to shut down the roving frame completely so that a workman with a head oil cup may lift up and prop the casing which covers the step rail and spindle steps. The workman then lifts each spindle individually and fills the step with oil. After oiling all of the spindles in a particular section of the roving frame, the casing is again lowered into place, and the workman moves on to manually oil the remainder of the spindle steps on the entire machine. This method consumes a great deal of time and causes a loss of production of thousands of pounds of roving yearly, as well as the waste of much oil and labor.

In accordance with the present invention, a forced feed oiling system is provided upon the fly frame or roving frame, whereby a workman merely operates a hand pump mounted upon one end of the roving frame to force the desired amount of oil through a supply line and automatic metering valve means to the steps or step reservoirs of the individual spindles. It is unnecessary to shut down the roving frame or to raise the casings above the step rail during the lubricating operation, and the entire operation requires but a few moments of time on the part of a single workman, in order to properly lubricate all spindles of the roving frame.

Accordingly, it is the primary object of this invention to provide a highly efficient pressure lubricating system for fly or roving frames, which will greatly reduce the time and labor involved for lubricating the machine, and which will eliminate entirely the lost production of roving due to shutting down of the machine.

A further object is to provide lubricating means of the above-mentioned character which is simplified in construction, inexpensive to install and maintain, reliable and efficient in operation and easy to operate.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent during the course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this application and in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same,

Figure l is a fragmentary side elevation of a roving frame having the lubricating system of the present invention installed thereon.

Figure 1a is a fragmentary horizontal section taken on line 1a1a of Figure 1.

Figure 2 is anenlarged fragmentary transverse vertical section taken on line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a further enlarged cross sectional view of the step rail, steps and associated elements.

Figure 4 is a plan view of a single spindle step and step reservoir and associated elements, partly in section.

Figure 5 is a vertical section taken on line 5-5 of .Figure 4.

Figure 6 is a plan view of a modified form of spindle step and associated elements.

In the drawings, wherein for the purpose-of-illustraassent Patented July 28, 1959 tion are shown preferred embodiments of the invention, the numeral 10 designates the head end of a conventional roving frame having a base 11 supporting the usual step rail 12. At some distance above the step rail 12 and parallel thereto is the usual bolster and bobbin carriage rail 13, supported by arm or bracket means 14 of conventional construction. Bobbins 15 mounted upon bolstars 316 are rotatably mounted in the usual manner upon vertical spindles 17, and the bobbins have conventional flyers 18 associated therewith as shown in Figure 2. Bobbins are driven through the medium of conventional gearing 19, as shown in the drawings.

The lower end of each vertical spindle 17 has a reduced extension 20 intergral therewith, and freely rotatably journaled within a vertical bearing 21 of a step 22, rigidly secured in a conventional manner to one side of the step rail 12. In accordance with the preferred form of the invention, each individual step 22 has an upwardly opening oil reservoir 23 formed therein and spaced laterally of the spindle bearing 21 and communicating therewith through a horizontal oil conduit 24, Figure 5. The steps 22 of each adjacent pair of spindles 17 are rigidly secured to opposite sides of the step rail 12 and keyed thereto by the usual tongue and groove construction 25, as shown clearly in Figure 2. The steps 22 are arranged upright in assembly with their bearings 21 arranged outermost relative to the step rail 12 and their reservoirs 23 arranged innermost or close to the sides of the step rail and projecting above the same, as shown.

The spindles 17 are each provides near and above the steps 22 withjgears 26, rigid therewith, and meshing with and driven by the-spindle driving gears 27, mounted upon horizontal spindle drive shafts 28 in the usual manner.

The parts thus far described are entirely conventional and constitute well-known elements of a fly or roving frame, and for the purposes of this invention, it is unnecessary to describein further detail the construction of the roving frame proper, except to point out that the bolster rail .13 and associated elements and the step rail 12 are both coveredand shielded by the usual casings 29 andfitl respectively, Figure 2.

The lubricating means or system proper comprises a manually operated pressure pump 31 suitably rigidly mounted in anaccessible position upon the head end 10 of the roving frame as shown in Figure 1. The pump 31 has a manual operating handle 32for pumping the oil, and the pump may be of the type manufactured and sold by the Lincoln Engineering Company, St. Louis, Missouri, model 1802 CentrOiler pump, or the like. The pump 31 is connected with a supply line 33 of copper tubing or the like by means of a fitting 34. The supply line 33 extends downwardly near the head end 10 of the roving frame, as indicated at 35, to a point adjacent the elevation of the outermost horizontal longitudinal flange 36 of the step rail 12. The supply line has a horizontal portion or section 37 arranged just above or lying upon the the horizontal flange 36, and extending adjacent to the first side-by-side pair of vertical spindlles 17 nearest the head end of the roving frame.

Midway between the first two pairs of spindles 17, Figure 1, there is connected in the supply line section 37 an oil manifold 33 having end fittings 39 to form tight connections with the lines 37. The manifold 38 may be rigidly secured tothe top of the outside horizontal step rail flange 36 by sheet metal clips 40 surrounding the ends of. themanifold and secured to the flange 36 by means of screws 41 or the like.

The manifold fitihas rigidly connected therewith four upstanding automatic metering valves or injectors 42, connected internally with the manifold 38 and adapted to meter. prescribedamounts of oil from the line 37 and manifold to the four spindle step reservoirs, to be described, of the adjacent two pairs of spindles 17. The manifold 38 and its integral metering valves 42 constitutes a unit manufactured and sold by Lincoln Engineering Company, St. Louis, Mo., Series SL-4 Injectors, designed particularly for use with the pump 31 of the same manufacturer.

As shown in the drawings, each metering valve 42 has connected with it through a suitable fitting 43, a lubricating feed line 44, formed of copper tubing or the like, and each feed line '44 extends adjacent to reservoir 23 of one spindle step 22 of the two pairs of spindles 17 adjacent the first manifold 38, Figure 1. As shown in Figure l, the feed lines 44 of the outer two metering devices 42 may extend adjacent the reservoirs of the outermost steps 22 of the machine, and the feed lines 44 of the center pair of metering valves 42 may extend to the reservoirs of the innermost pair of steps 22; If preferred, the arrangement of the feed lines 44 may be reversed so that the outer pair of feed lines 44 may extend to the innermost reservoirs and the center pair of feed lines may extend to the outer pair of step reservoirs. As shown in Figure 3, the terminal ends 45 of the feed lines 44 are bent so as to be downwardly directed within the reservoirs 23 to supply the necessary oil thereto for lubricating the steps of the first two pairs of spindles 17 simultaneously.

With continued reference to Figure 1, the horizontal supply line 37 extends and continues beyond the first manifold 38, longitudinally of the step rail 12, to a point between the next two pairs of spindles 17. of the roving frame. Midway between these pairs of spindles, a second and identical manifold 38 is connected in the feed line and secured to the step rail flange 36 in the same manner previously described in connection with the first-mentioned manifold 38. The second manifold carries four of the identical metering valves 42 previously described, which are in turn connected with four more of the oil feed lines 44, leading to the four reservoirs 23 of the adjacent four steps 22 of the two pairs of spindles. Throughout the entire length of the roving frame, additional identical units including a manifold 38, metering valves 42 and feed lines 44 are connected in the horizontal oil supply line 37, midway between each two pairs of spindles 17, for supplying oil to the spindle step reservoirs thereof, in the identical manner previously described. At the endmost manifold 38, adjacent to the endmost pairs of spindles 17 near the foot end of the roving frame, a plug 46 is employed to close off the end of the last manifold 38, at the end of the lubricating system, and the supply line 37 terminates at its point of connection with the last manifold 38 near the foot end of the roving frame.

The step rail 12 is inverted T-shaped in vertical cross section and includes a vertical flange and horizontal flanges 36 extending upon opposite sides of the vertical flange. There are two longitudinal groups of steps 22 which are vertical and arranged upon opposite sides of the vertical flange of the step rail and extend above the vertical flange. The steps 22 in each group are spaced longitudinally of the step rail, and the steps in one group are staggered with relation to the steps 22 of the other group. The manifolds 38 are arranged upon the same side of the vertical flange of the step rail 12. Each manifold 38 is arranged between the adjacent pair of steps 22 upon the same side of the vertical flange with the manifold and also opposite to a point between the neXt pan of steps 22 upon the opposite side of the vertical flange. The outer tubes 44 lead to the reservoirs 23 of the adjacent pair of steps upon the same side of the vertical flange with the manifold, while the inner tubes 44 lead to the adjacent pair of reservoirs of the adjacent steps arranged upon the opposite side of the vertical flange. The arrangement simplifies the construction.

The operation'of the lubricating system is as follows:

When it is desired to supply lubricating oil to the spindle steps 22 of all of the spindles 17 of the roving frame, a workman merely grasps the pump lever 32 and oscillates it several times, and the pump containing oil will force the oil under pressure to the supply line 33-31 to the several manifolds 38 along the roving frame- These manifolds communicate with the several metering devices 42, which automatically meter the desired amounts of oil to all of the step reservoirs 23 substantially simultaneously, upon operating of the pump 31 as described. The oil in the several reservoirs 23 comrnunicates through the ports 24 with the spindle step bearings 21, in order to lubricate the bottom extensions- 21) of all spindles 17, This lubricating process may be carried out without stopping the operation of the roving frame, and without the necessity for lifting the guards or covers 31 It may be mentioned that the pump 31 is equipped with a visual signalling element or plunger 47 which protrudes to signal the completion of a pumping cycle, whereupon the operator may know that the desired amount of oil has been furnished to each step reservoir 23. Obviously, with this arrangement, a great saving of labor is accomplished over the conventional manual procedure for oiling the spindles of roving machines, and a correspondingly great saving in the production of roving is effected by virtue of the fact that the roving frame need not be stopped during the lubrication operation.

In Figure 6, there is shown a slight modification of the invention, whereby the present oiling system may be employed upon certain older type roving frames having spindles steps which are not equipped with the oil reservoir 23. Such a spindle step 22' is indicated by Figure 6, which step has a spindle bearing 21, but no oil reservoir. On roving frames employing the spindle steps 22, the feed lines 14 communicate directly with the bore of the bearing 21 and are connected therewith by a suitable fitting 48, as shown in Figure 6. This eliminates the terminal end portion 45 of the feed line 44, shown and described in connection with the preferred form of the invention. All other parts and their operation are identical to the corresponding parts of the lubricating system shown and described in connection with the first and preferred form of the invention.

It should be pointed out that while a particular pump 31 and particular manifolds 38 and metering devices 42 of one manufacturer have been shown and described in connection with the invention, it is not desired to limit the invention to these precise elements, and other similar components manufactured by different concerns and adapted to perform generally the same functions may be employed in the lubricating system, if desired. The particular elements 31, 38 and 42 shown in the drawings have been illustrated because they are representative of commercially available lubricating apparatus, and well adapted to perform the desired functions in conjunction with the other elements of the roving frame.

It is to be understood that the forms of the invention herewith shown and described are to be taken as preferred examples of the same, and that various changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts may be resorted to, without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the subjoined claims.

Havink thus described the invention, I claim:

1. The combination with a step rail of fly frames or the like, said step rail being horizontally arranged and formed inverted T-shaped in transverse section and including a vertical flange and horizontal flanges arranged upon opposite sides of the vertical flange, of two Ion gitudinal groups of vertical steps arranged upon opposite sides of said vertical flange and secured thereto and extending above said vertical flange, the steps in each group being spaced longitudinally of the step rail and the steps in one group being staggered with relation to the steps in the other group, each step being provided at its top with a vertical bearing and a reservoir having communication with the bearing, a spindle held within each bearing, horizontal manifolds arranged upon the same side of said vertical flange and mounted upon the adjacent horizontal flange, each manifold being arranged between the adjacent pair of steps upon the same side of the vertical flange with such manifold, vertical metering valves mounted upon the manifold and providing a pair of outer metering valves and a pair of inner metering valves, tubes connected with the outer metering valves of each manifold and leading to the reservoirs of the adjacent pair of steps upon the same side of the vertical flange with said manifold, tubes connected with the inner metering valves of each manifold and leading to the reservoirs of the adjacent pair of steps upon the opposite side of the vertical flange, tubes connecting the manifolds in series, a tube connected with the end of one manifold, and a pump connected with the last-named tube.

2. The combination with a step rail of fly frames or the like, said step rail being horizontally arranged and formed inverted T-shaped in transverse section and including a vertical flange and horizontal flanges arranged upon opposite sides of the vertical flange, of two longitudinal groups of vertical steps arranged upon opposite sides of said vertical flange and secured thereto and extending above said vertical flange, the steps in each group being spaced longitudinally of the step rail and the steps in one group being staggered with relation to the steps in the other group, each step being provided at its top with a vertical bearing and at its top with a conduit leading to the vertical bearing, a spindle held within each bearing, horizontal manifolds arranged upon the same side of said vertical flange and mounted upon the adjacent horizontal flange, each manifold being arranged between the adjacent pair of steps upon the same side of the vertical flange with such manifold, vertical metering valves mounted upon each manifold and providing a pair of outer metering valves and a pair of inner metering valves, tubes connected with the outer metering valves of each manifold and leading to the conduits of the adjacent pair of steps upon the same side of the vertical flange with said manifiold, tubes connected with the inner metering valves of each manifold and leading to the conduits of the adjacent pair of steps upon the opposite side of the vertical flange, tubes connecting the manifolds in series, a tube connected with one end of one manifold, and a pump connected with the last-named tube.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 260,504 Stevens July 4, 1882 2,196,916 Gravenor Apr. 9, 1940 2,622,698 Chew Dec. 23, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS 314,304 Great Britain Oct. 15, 1930 

